Led Into the Sun
by uchiki-angel
Summary: (previously Getting To Know You) After Aerith's resurrection, Tifa leaves to obtain her own happiness, but what if someone from her past makes it all the more difficult for her to find it? (AC, T?) Please RR, this is my first fanfic.
1. Invitation

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh yeah, um, this is an edited version of the first chapter I posted a lil bit earlier. Not very much is different, just some really small details. Enjoy! Please review! ~ uchiki-angel  
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Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.  
  
Getting Over You   
  
Chapter 1: Invitation  
  
It was nearing sunset, and the sky was creamy with occasional blue streaking. The sun hid itself behind a shroud of thin clouds, a large blotch of white light instead of its usual bright sphere.   
  
Cloud Strife sat on a little patch of green grass looking out over the ocean, all the while twirling a little white flower in his fingertips.  
  
"Five years..." he breathed.  
  
It had been five years since the destruction of Sephiroth, Meteor and the city of Midgar. Five years since the group known as AVALANCHE had disbanded and gone their separate ways. Five years since he left them to go on his search for Aerith, his Aerith.  
  
He got up slowly and headed towards his cottage. Small and fairly isolated, it was cozy and felt like home. He hadn't had that feeling in a long time. The door gave its trademark squeak as he opened it. He passed by the countertop that displayed recent pictures of his friends from AVALANCHE. Above the countertop was a large frame that held a group picture of them all, taken after Meteor was destroyed. Scanning the pictures from left to right, he recalled what Vincent had told him about the group and what they were up to.  
  
The first picture was a wedding picture of Cid carrying Shera in his arms, grinning stupidly. Shera looked slightly embarrassed, not because he was carrying her, but because he had refused to take off his goggles throughout the entire ceremony. The Highwind family was now expecting a new member.  
  
His gaze passed over the picture of Barrett with Marlene sitting on his massive shoulder and Elmyra  
standing next to them; Barrett hadn't changed very much. He, Marlene and Elmyra had gone back to North Corel   
to rebuild, and they were living fairly peaceful lives.  
  
The next picture was of Cait Sith, the mog's arm around Reeve's shoulders, both smiling widely. Cait Sith had been brought back to the Gold Saucer to tell fortunes once again, while Reeve was helping out the new government in order to compensate for the fall of Shinra.  
  
In the next picture, Yuffie was wearing a dark green kimono with golden embroidery. Her hair had grown out a bit past her shoulders. She looked very mature, but despite the serene look ofher expression there was still a hint of mischief in her gray eyes. She had gone back to Wutai; well, after she had gotten a portion of the materia besides her own. She was now being taught in the ways of a lady and doing rather well.  
  
Vincent looked absolutely the same. Being one without anywhere to go, he constantly traveled. Actually, he was the only one who knew where Cloud was living and had kept his word to not tell anyone Cloud's location. He was also the one who gave Cloud updates on how everyone was doing.  
  
Red XIII, or Nanaki, looked quite the same, but his mane had grown out and he had gotten a bit bigger. Next to him was   
another, darker fiery beast. Her name was Makka, and her origins were unknown. She had appeared suddenly in the village  
of Cosmo Canyon completely exhausted, then had fainted. When she awoke she had no idea who she was nor her origins. They were currently trying to find out where she came from and if there were more of her kind.  
  
His gaze finally passed over Tifa's picture. His best friend. According to Vincent, she was now living in Cosmo Canyon with Makka and Nanaki. Tifa helped out in the local bar and also taught children how to play the piano. Red XIII and the townspeople had a piano brought to the village as a birthday gift. The current picture of her was very different from the one during their adventure. The skirt and white tank top had been exchanged for a creamy, long-sleeved shirt with leather cord running  
across the front as a drawstring for the collar. She now wore long, dark-brown pants with leather cord running up the sides; her boots had been traded for woven slippers. She had cut her long hair to shoulder length, and it was tied back into a ponytail with the hair tie she had always worn.  
  
"She's changed a lot..." Cloud commented to himself. Then he noticed her ears and smiled. She still had the same silver teardrop earrings.  
  
In regards to himself, he was living on a small island in the southern area of the world. He had wanted to isolate and devote himself to the search for Aerith. Traveling and constantly spending his time at the Forgotten Capital, he searched for ways to bring her back.  
  
He recalled Vincent's last visit to him. Apparently, there was to be a party in Junon to celebrate the destruction of Meteor and the fact that they were all alive. And he was invited. It was only natural to have the heroes who saved the world attend the party. He smiled to himself. "Hmm...it would be great for them to see her again."  
  
Suddenly the door opened and a figure came through the door. It came up behind Cloud and wrapped its warm arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. Something glittered on her finger.   
  
"Hey..."she breathed softly.   
  
"Hi there. What were you doing in the garden all day?" he asked.  
  
"Just planting a new bed of flowers. What were you up to? Looking at pictures again?"  
  
"Yeah, I was just thinking. How would you like to go to a party? You'll get to see everyone again."  
  
Her eyes brightened at this suggestion. "Really? I've been wanting to see them so much. Can we go?" she pleaded.  
  
"Of course. Remember? I was the one who asked you." He smiled. They were going to be so surprised.  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"Hmm?" he replied.  
  
She hugged him tighter and sighed happily, "I love you."  
  
He held the hand around his waist. "I love you too, Aerith."  
  
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Well, this is my very first fanfic and I hope you people liked it. Though the story starts out being in Cloud's perspective, it's mostly going to be about Tifa. I hope you enjoy! Please read and review, but please be gentle. Personally, I'm more of a fan for a Clo/Ti but I felt like making it into a Cloud/Aerith. And Tifa will end up with...well...I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll figure it out eventually. ^.^ Yes, I know. I cheated about the whole Makka thing. Personally, I'm not sure where I'm going to make her come from, but I'll figure that out eventually too. ^_^; Thanks for reading. ~ uchiki-angel 


	2. One Wish

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.  
  
Getting Over You  
  
Chapter 2: One Wish  
  
The blue light of early dawn had passed, and the sun was starting to peak over the far away mountains. The skies were painted with shades of pink and purple as birds sang their morning songs.   
  
As the sun rose higher, light filtered through the white curtains of their bedroom and fell gently on the form of Aerith Gainsborough as she slept peacefully next to her lover Cloud Strife. The warmth of the new sunlight caused her to lazily open her eyes and let out a gentle sigh as she cuddled closer to her Cloud.   
  
God, she loved him so much. She smiled to herself. And it was going to stay this way forever. She looked up to his face and  
watched his chest rise and fall. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. Golden hair, beautiful blue eyes, and a wonderful smile...he was gorgeous. He had a wonderful and loving personality to top it all off. Everything about him made her feel so... complete.   
  
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She had found herself drifting. Drifting away in a mass of green tendrils and light. She knew that she was caught in the current  
of the Lifestream and waited for it to swallow her up. But there was one questioned that plagued her mind: Why hadn't she been  
made one with the Lifestream? She should have been assimilated a long time ago.   
  
Suddenly, the green light disappeared all together; it was pitch black. In the darkness she saw a light, and she let herself  
drift to its beacon. As she floated, she heard a cacophony of voices, but out of the large collection of noise she heard one, loud and clear.  
  
"Aerith..." it called, beckoning for her to come near. It was so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Aerith..." it repeated.  
  
She soon found herself near the blinding light and was forced to shield her eyes against its brightness. The aura dimmed, and  
there she found a woman, with a likeness of her own. It was Ifalna, her mother.  
  
"Mother?" she asked softly, afraid the other would disappear if she spoke too loudly.  
  
"My child..." Ifalna said softly and brought her daughter into an embrace; tears were streaming down her cheeks.   
  
"Mother, I've missed you so much." Aerith said as she cried silently into the crook of her neck.  
  
"I'm so proud of you; look at all of the good you have done." her mother said as she broke from the embrace. Then she cast a picture against the darkness, showing the world as it was after Meteor. The picture kept shifting to various areas of the world, showing its growth and recovery. It showed plants, animals, even people. They were able to see all that was happening.  
  
"I'm glad I did it," Aerith remarked, but with a slight tone of sadness in her voice.  
  
Ifalna looked down to her daughter's abdomen and placed her hand where   
the wound should have been. "Your sacrifice came at a terrible price. But I am here to tell you that the Planet has agreed  
to grant you anything you want, in thanks for saving her life."  
  
Aerith's eyes shot wide open. "Seriously?  
  
Ifalna nodded, "Anything you want; just one wish. What shall it be?"  
  
At this moment, the picture had shifted over to the Forgotten Capital, and Aerith saw Cloud, asleep near her grave.   
  
"Cloud?" she questioned out loud, surprised that he was even there in the first place.  
  
Ifalna looked at her quizzically. "Cloud? Is that what you want? I suppose we could bring him down into the Lifestream for you." At this moment green light started to surround her, and she raised her hands.  
  
"No! No! That's not what I meant!" Aerith said quickly, fearing for his life.  
  
Ifalna lowered her hands and the green light dissipated."Oh. Well, what do you wish then?"  
  
Aerith gazed into the picture again, at his sleeping form. "I want to be alive again. To be with Cloud."  
  
Ifalna smiled sadly. "It is done then." White light started to surround Aerith's body and Ifalna quickly wrapped her arms  
around her daughter. "I shall miss you deeply; we haven't been able to talk for a long time."  
  
"Don't worry mother," Aerith said comfortingly. "I shall come back to you."  
  
"I know you will. I know you will." Ifalna whispered as Aerith's vision was swallowed by white light.  
  
Aerith found herself underwater. Shocked at the sudden cold, she realized that she had to reach the surface. Quickly, she swam to the top and lashed her head out of the water to let the blessed air enter her lungs. She drifted over to the bank, and upon reaching land, let herself rest for a while. Soon after, she lifted her body a bit and to the side, just a little distance from her, was Cloud.  
  
She quickly crawled over and observed him. He was beautiful, but it seemed as if he was having a nightmare. His face displayed pain and he would move restlessly. How she missed him. In desperation, she threw conventionalities to the wind. Perhaps she could steal just one kiss from him while he was asleep.   
  
She leaned over and her lips lightly met his. Surprise took her as she realized that he was kissing back, and she abruptly  
broke off. His features had softened, and evidence of a bad dream had disappeared; he whispered her name and smiled. But soon after she had removed her presence from him, he started to thrash more violently and whispered incoherent things. Fearing for him, she quickly woke him up and was met by his own blue eyes. They looked hopeful and surprised, but then quickly became hard.  
  
"Ugh. Not again! Why do you keep reappearing to me Aerith?" he spat as he covered his forehead in frustration with his hand.  
  
"Cloud, it's me. Aerith." she softly replied.  
  
"Yeah, of course. That's what the rest of you said. It's just another dream. I think I'm going crazy."  
  
"But it's really me." she pleaded as she embraced him. "See?"  
  
He scowled, "More empty promises." his features softened a bit. "I know you're dead, but I can't stop thinking about you. And  
now my mind is starting to produce figments of you. Please, just go. But may I kiss you before you do? I've always wanted to but I wasn't able to when you were alive."  
  
She blushed at his request and smiled. She leaned towards him and softly kissed his lips. Snaking her hand underneath  
his neck, she kissed him more deeply, and he abruptly broke the kiss.  
  
"Aerith, is it really you?" he asked hopefully. He was surprised that this "dream" had chosen to fufill his request.  
  
"Yes, of course silly. I've been telling you that the whole time." She giggled.  
  
These figments are becoming more lifelike everyday, he thought to himself. "Pinch me." he demanded.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I want to make sure I'm not dreaming. Make sure it's a good one."  
  
"Ok then..." she replied, and pinched him very hard on the arm.  
  
"Ow! That hurt!" he shouted, rubbing his pinched arm.  
  
"You're the one who told me to do It.," she said defensively.  
  
He looked at her as if finally aware. "So it really is you?"  
  
"Yes, it is." she smiled.  
  
"Oh my God!" he shouted happily and took her into his arms, despite the fact that she was wet. "I've missed you so much." Tears started to form in his eyes.  
  
"I've missed you too..." she replied.   
  
"But how? You were dead, I saw you get killed. Why have you come back?" he asked, still disbelieving.  
  
She smiled, "The Planet rewarded me for sacrificing my life in order to save hers. So, she granted me one wish."  
  
"Oh, I see." he looked at her skeptically "This is a dream isn't it?"  
  
"No, I told you that already. Do you want me to pinch you again?"  
  
He backed away a little bit. "No that's fine, you pinch hard. It's just so hard to believe that you're back."  
  
"Understandable." She smirked at him playfully, "So, what's this about wanting to kiss me but never getting the chance to?"  
  
He looked at her in surprise. "I told you that?" She nodded.  
  
"Um...uh...what I meant was...um...oh blah." and he started to turn red.   
  
She laughed at this, "It's alright Cloud. Cause truth is, I've always wanted to kiss you," she said as she leaned in.  
  
"Oh..." he replied as his mouth was covered with hers. He felt her smile against his lips.  
  
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Aerith smiled to herself as she felt the rise and fall of Cloud's chest. That was about a month ago. She hadn't realized five years had already passed since her death, but that was all right. She was alive now, and she was happy. It was going to staythat way. And even though she missed her mother deeply, she was still happy. This was her Promised Land.  
  
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, just a lil chapter explaining Aerith's revival and stuff like that. I hope you guys liked it. But now all of my background stuff is done (i'm pretty sure it is anyways) and I can start on the main part of the story. I also refer to the Planet as female. Personally, I'm not really sure if the refer to the Planet as female in the game, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Hmm...my usage of the word "assimlate" makes me feel like I'm a Borg. Well anyways, do you guys think my title is stupid or anything? If you have any suggestions on the title, go ahead and tell me. Thanks for reading, please review! I'll update again eventually. ^.^ ~ uchiki-angel 


	3. You Don't Know Me

Dislaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.

Getting Over You Chapter 3: You Don't Know Me 

You give your hand to me And then you say hello

And I can hardly speak My heart is beating so

And anyone can tell You think you know me well

But you don't know me

No you don't know the one Who dreams of you at night

And longs to kiss your lips Longs to hold you tight

Oh I am just a friend That's all I've ever been

Cause you don't know me

I never knew the art of making love

No my heart aches with love for you

Afraid and shy I let my chance go by

The chance that you might love me too

You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye

I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy

Oh you will never know The one who loves you so

Well you don't know me

You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye

I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy

Oh you will never know The one who loves you so

Cause you don't know me

Oh no you don't know me

Oohh...you don't know me

~ Jann Arden; You Don't Know Me; _My Best Friend's Wedding_

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The light of the setting sun illuminated the sky with golden hues. Feathered clouds stretched across its great dome and a faded crescent moon shown faintly.

Tifa leaned out of her window to watch the sunset as she waited in her hotel room for Yuffie to finish taking a shower. Her chocolate strands blew in the wind as she observed Junon. The city of Junon had grown considerably, and the old shabby looking harbor it once was had changed. The citizens of Junon had worked hard for the beautification of their city, and it had paid off very well. They had cleaned up their ocean, the scraps of metal now gone. The houses had become larger and accommodated small gardens. The inn had grown, and other hotels were springing up in competition. Now Junon was a fairly beautiful city. The hotel that they were staying it was the Malahide Hotel. It had wonderful service, beautiful rooms and of course, it was very very expensive. But it was no big deal, the hotel rooms were already paid for by the new government, Kaiho.

She walked over to the vanity and looked over herself one last time. After brushing her hair thoroughly, she placed it up in a French twist and applied a gloss over her naturally shaded lipstick. She traced the black vines that winded down the length of her indigo dress, which ended halfway past her knee. Fastening the strap on her black high heel, and checking if the hair on the top of her head was lumpy, she was fairly satisfied with her appearance. She turned her head impatiently to the bathroom door and sighed. When was Yuffie going to be finished? 

Vincent had promised her that Cloud was going to be there, and she was very anxious to see him. I mean, after five years, who wouldn't be excited to see their best friend? Plus, she finally decided that she was going to tell him. Everything. She was little annoyed that Vincent wouldn't tell her where Cloud was, and before she could sneak off to follow him he would be gone. But after awhile, she realized that she shouldn't go about snooping. Cloud had his reasons and she trusted him. 

Tifa walked over to the window again and saw that the sun had finally sunk into the ocean, but its light glared out in defiance of the sea's blue coldness. She turned toward the bathroom again. "Yuffie!" she shouted, "Hurry up!"

"Okay, I'm almost done!" was the muffled reply.

She nibbled at her bottom lip in impatience and started to pace. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened and steam preceded the wet Yuffie. Her long dark hair clung to her neck and shoulders as she held on to the towel that was wrapped about her. 

She laughed, "You're ready already? Geez, sorry about that. Go on ahead, I'll catch up later."

"Are you sure? I'll wait longer if you want me to." 

She shook her head, "Nah, it's ok. Go ahead."

Tifa smiled as she picked up a thin piece of dark cloth and headed for the door, "Alright then, see you there, okay?" 

"Okay" Yuffie replied as Tifa wrapped the cloth about her shoulders and opened the door. Then she left.

The party was being held in the ballroom of Cypress Inn, another large hotel that was more known for its ballrooms than actual service. Cypress was walking distance and it was still light out, so Tifa didn't bother to call taxi. Walking to Cypress, she passed by a dress store called Lucile's.

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"Cloud, what about this dress?" asked Aerith as she came out of the fitting room. She wore a forest green dress that flowed to her ankles. It was strapless and the fabric about her upper torso was crushed velvet. 

"It looks great on you," Cloud replied as he straightened out the collar of his suit. "Don't forget about the shoes." 

"I got them right here," she replied as she slipped on her black heels and fastened the strap. "You don't look too bad yourself."

He smirked. "So, are you gonna get that?"

"Yeah," she replied while looking behind her to see the back of her dress. "What should I do about my hair?"

"Just leave it down. I'll go pay for it."

"Okay then."

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Where is he? Tifa asked internally as she stood by a pillar. Most of the people here were government officials but she already had spoken to Reeve earlier. With champagne glass in hand she saw a familiar couple walk through the doors. 

"Cid! Shera!" she yelled as she walked quickly over to them.

"Hey, Tifa--" Cid started to say but then was surprised by her sudden hug. Then she hugged Shera, being careful since Shera was already seven months pregnant.

"It's great to see you guys again. You guys look great." Tifa remarked.

"I don't look that great." Shera replied as she placed a hand over her swollen stomach. "But it's alright."

"Hey, there's Reeve, we'll talk to you later. Okay?" Cid said.

"Okay then, talk to you later." replied Tifa as the couple walked away.

It was eight and by this time all of the guests had arrived. Barrett had arrived earlier, but hadn't brought Marlene or Elmyra along. It was quite interesting to see that large man in a suit. Reeve had brought Cait Sith along and he was amusing the guests by telling their fortunes. Yuffie had finally arrived with the company of Nanaki and Makka; Vincent had even arrived. But a certain spikey-haired blond still wasn't there. Everyone was about talking about their current lives and what has happened so far. It seemed as if everyone was fairly happy with the way things had turned out. 

Tifa was actually enjoying herself, but kept her eye on the door. Finally, a figure appeared in the doorway. She immediately started to head towards the figure, even though she cut herself in the middle of her discussion with Yuffie.

"Cloud!" she yelled as she headed towards the figure. He looked down at her and he beamed.

"Tifa! It's been a long time!" he walked towards her and caught her in an embrace. She hugged him and took a step back. He barely changed. He still had the same golden hair, beautiful blue eyes, and wonderful smile. He just looked a bit more mature. 

She smiled brightly, "There's so much we have to talk about."

He nodded, and looked behind him. Tifa followed his gaze and there she saw a person she hadn't seen for five years.

She gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. "Aerith?" she felt tears forming.

Aerith smiled and nodded. "It's so great to see you again, Tifa."

Tifa stood frozen there for a moment, speechless. "Is it really you?" She said as she approached Aerith slowly and her tears were falling freely now. She saw a blurred image of Aerith slightly nod and she went forward to embrace her. After breaking away she abruptly wiped her eyes. "I missed you so much. After you died..." She heaved and shook her head. "Well that's in the past. But how? We tried to revive you ourselves but we were already too late to use spells or phoenix downs."

"The Planet granted me another chance." she replied

"I'm not dreaming am I?" 

Aerith laughed, "You're acting the same way that Cloud did."

Tifa turned around and pointed an accusing finger at Cloud. "You! How could you keep this a secret?! How long has she been alive?!"

He raised his hands up defensively and smiled. "For about a month and a half! Don't hurt me!"

She smirked, "Jerk, keeping our friend hidden so you can surprise us at some huge party. And then not saying  a word to any of us, except for Vincent, for five years." She knew she should've been angry. She should've been enraged. But, actually, she was enjoying this. She couldn't help it, she was just too happy to see all of her friends again.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, I missed you too."

Then there was a loud commotion. A whirlwind of questions surrounding Aerith and Cloud about their whereabouts and Aerith's revival. They both tried their best to keep up with them and give immediate answers.

Reeve coughed a bit at all of the rambling in order to get their attention. "Well anyways, I suppose we should eat dinner now. To your seats everyone. Waiters!"

 After the guests then retired to their seat, the waiters came out with their platters of food and began to serve. All of the heroes sat at one long table, each eating their fill. During the dinner Yuffie noticed something glittering on Aerith's hand. Taking a closer glance at it a bit of her old self came back and she suddenly exclaimed, "Wow Aerith! Where'd you get that huge rock!"

Yuffie's sudden outburst attracted everyone's glance and Aerith blushed a bit, "Oh, about that. Um…uh…" She glanced over at Cloud for a little bit of support. Currently he had a bit of chicken stuck in mouth.

He swallowed quickly, "We're engaged."

Her heart stopped, frozen, then shattered into small little pieces. All of that pent up emotion. All of that mustered up courage and resolve to say that she loved him. It all seemed pointless. A cry was caught in her throat as everyone told the couple congratulations. The other heroes looked at her with concern, since they knew of her secret love for Cloud. She felt their gaze on her and suppressed her urge to cry. Following the crowd she also smiled and told them congratulations. 

"Really? When?" Yuffie inquired after their initial shock had subsided.

Aerith blushed and turned to Cloud. He answered the question for her.

"In three months. We still need to set up the entourage." Cloud smiled.

Tifa was deaf to the conversation. Her concentration was focused on not crying out and exploding with emotion. Now was not the time to make a scene. Now was not the time to tell them, to finally admit her feelings. She didn't want to be a burden, so she pasted on a smile and hid within herself for the rest of the night. _I should be happy for them. I must be happy for them_. It repeated in her head like a mantra.

She heard snippets of the conversation. Who would be the Maid of Honor? We had wanted Tifa to do it. Will you be the Maid of Honor Tifa? She nodded blankly and showed off her fake smile. The others were too blinded by their happiness to notice her emotional detachment from the world.

She kept her mask on for the rest of the night not letting anyone see what she felt. At least it was someone she knew, a close friend, that she had lost Cloud to. But she still could not get over her sorrow. She had lost him, again. 

Deciding it would be for the best, she decided to stay on the balcony for the majority of the night. She didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment but a fiery beast came through the entrance.

"Hello, Tifa," a feminine voice said.

She turned her head to see who it was. "Hello Makka." She replied.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She lied.

"No you're not. I smell tears. What's wrong?"

She turned around and knelt. "I don't really feel like talking about it, Makka and I'm tired." _Of trying_, she silently added.

"Perhaps you should go back to your hotel room, maybe you'll feel better. It is getting rather late."

Tifa smiled sadly, "Sounds like a good idea, I think I will."

Embracing all of her old comrades and wishing them good night she left. She walked a cold and lonely rode back to the Malahide. As she unlocked the door to her hotel room, she felt her mask crack. _I should be happy for them, I must be happy for them_, the mantra repeated. _They deserve each other_, she silently said as she entered her room. "And he doesn't need me." she whispered. Her own comment hit a chord and she felt her tears forming, begging to be released.

As she leaned against the door, her lip quivered and the mask melted away. Letting herself sink to the floor in a fetal position, she finally let her emotions break free as she sat there and cried. _I must be happy for them_. Then she whispered, "But it's just so hard."

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hello again! Whoa, this chapter was really hard to write. Didn't this chapter suck? Poor Tifa, look at what I'm doing to my favorite character. Eh. Anyways, yay, I'm finally on to the main part of the story. I really like that song, it really portrays Tifa's situation with Cloud. So don't be lazy and go read the lyrics. I'm not really sure about the whole spells and phoenix downs comment I put in there but it seems reasonable. In its own way it would kind of explain why Aerith wasn't revived after being stabbed by Sephiroth. Not sure if it's true though, just my own opinion on the situation. Well, anyways, I'll update eventually. ^.^ Buh bye! ~ uchiki-angel


	4. Last Shard Broken

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, just my own.  
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Author's Note: Sorry guys that this chapter is coming so late. I guess I just got lazy and stopped writing for a while. Plus, I was still deciding on how I was going to present this to you. Oh, by the way, you guys are great! Thanks for all the reviews. When I first started this fic I thought no one would actually read this thing. Thanks for your support! Keep reviewing! - uchiki-angel  
  
" " -talking  
' ' -thinking  
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Getting Over You   
  
Chapter 4: Last Shard Broken  
  
The moon shone brightly against a dark velvet sky; cold diamonds shining out of its depths. There was a light breeze bringing in the coldness from the north, and with it came looming clouds.  
  
"So, that's what you were doing the whole time," Yuffie replied as she and Vincent strolled about in the garden at the Malahide. She and Vincent had just recently arrived from the party, and since they were not quite tired yet, they decided to catch up on each other's lives.  
  
"It's been a while, hasn't it Yuffie?" he questioned. The light breeze blew by which caused her to shiver.   
  
"Are you cold?" She looked up at him while hugged herself and nodded. He removed his cape and draped it about her shoulders, then she sneezed.  
  
"Bless you."  
  
"Thanks." She replied, smiling.  
  
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Pound…pound…pound…  
  
"Damn it! What's going on now?" Tifa groaned. Groggily, she raised herself out of bed and looked about her bedroom. 'Hmm…I wonder where Yuffie could be?'   
  
"Probably at the party still," she said aloud to no one. She rolled over on to her back and placed her hands behind her head. She accidentally scratched her ear on something.   
  
"Ow, what was that?" she looked at her wrist and noticed a carbon bangle containing three materia on it. She had forgotten to take it off before she had fallen asleep. 'Geh…Whatever…' Tifa looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. 'What am I going to do now?' she sighed. 'I suppose I'll just go back to Cosmo Canyon. No point in hanging around, at least not until the big day.'   
  
Disappointment and sadness washed over her countenance, once again bringing up tears that she thought she had cried out long before. 'Damn it, Tifa. Just get over it. He doesn't love you, okay? At least not in the way you want him to…' She shook her head and sighed.   
  
"What am I going to do?" she repeated.  
  
Pound…pound…pound…  
  
Her lips twisted into a scowl. 'Didn't anyone have any courtesy anymore?' It seemed as if it was coming from the room next to hers. Sleepily, she got of bed and slipped on a pair of jeans and she didn't bother with a shirt since she had a light green tank top on. She was seriously going to tell whoever was making that noise to shut up. Whatever they were doing. Slipping quietly through the room, she made her way to the door and entered the hallway.  
  
Tifa groggily grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, too sleepy to actually knock. Surprisingly enough it was already open so she didn't have to bother with knocking.   
  
"Damn it people! Just shut..." she yelled but the scene before her finally woke her up. The spilt wine and abandoned glasses told her that Cloud and Aerith were too drunk to remember to lock the door. And so there they were, stopped in the middle of their passion; all eyes locked on each other. Aerith's eyes once burning with rapture suddenly clouded over with sadness and her rosy, thoroughly kissed lips bended into a frown.   
  
"Tifa…"   
  
Tifa stepped back, speechless. 'I knew this would happen to them. But now? Why did I have to see it? It's too soon for me…it's too soon for me…' She heard Cloud call out her name but she didn't respond. Stepping backwards towards the door, she swiftly turned around and darted out of her room. 'I don't want to see them. Don't touch me. Don't even look at me!'   
Tifa ran down the hall as fast as she could, as she heard Cloud call out her name again. 'I have to get away. I have to get away…' She tripped over an area rug but quickly got up again and ran. Tifa's mind was far too stressed to obtain all of this. All she could think of was getting away. She hastily ran down the stairs, passing by surprised guests who haven't gone to sleep yet. She ran through the large mahogany doors and darted into the cold.  
  
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"Tifa! Wait!"  
  
"Huh? What's going on? Yuffie asked as she faced in the direction where someone was yelling. She looked up at Vincent quizzically.  
  
"It sounded like Cloud…" Vincent replied as he faced in the same direction. They both saw Tifa running across the courtyard, obviously not minding the cold. Yuffie and Vincent gave each other confused looks.  
  
"We should get back and see what's going on." Vincent suggested.  
  
"Nah, you go on ahead. I'll go follow her."  
  
"Alright if you insist…" but he was cut off as he realized that Yuffie had already run off.  
  
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Apparently though, their ruckus had caused the other members to wake up and see what was going on. Aerith was explaining to the group what had happened while Cloud (who had already slipped on a pair of pants ^.^) ran after Tifa. Soon, a large search party was in action to find her.  
  
"Tifa! Where are you!" she heard Shera yell as she hid behind the wall.   
  
'Damn it, why is everyone out here? I just want to be alone.' She heard footsteps and she ran into one of the alleys. She heard footsteps come closer and she climbed up a fire escape.   
  
"Tifa! Come out, please!" Cloud yelled.  
  
"You fucking idiot. You could have at least locked the door." Barrett grumbled.   
  
"Will you please stop blaming me and just help find Tifa!" Cloud yelled.  
  
"You're the reason why she ran off! If you had just waited to get your business done at another time she wouldn't have walked in on you!" Barrett shot back.  
  
"Damn it, I don't' even know why she's acting this way. Why should what I do with Aerith bother her so much?"  
  
"You son of a bitch, you don't even know everything about her. Don't ya kno she…" but Aerith cut him off. She shook her head as a signal not to tell.  
  
"She what? Tell me!" Cloud demanded.  
  
"Nuttin' once we find her you should ask her yourself." Cloud rolled his eyes and commenced with his search.  
  
She found herself on the roof and jumped on to the neighboring one. Climbing down the stairs, she hid in a small alley. Once knowing no one was about she dashed to another dark corner of a different alley. As she made her hasty retreat she tripped over and ran into a trashcan, making a loud noise.   
  
"What was that?" Makka asked as her ears pricked up.   
  
"I think it's coming from that direction." Aerith said. They all started heading towards Tifa's hiding spot.   
  
'Shit shit shit shit...' Tifa repeated under her breath as she heard their footsteps coming closer. There were no fire escapes in this alley, and if she tried to go back they would see her. A glint of light caught her eye and she noticed her carbon bangle. Looking at it closely she noticed manipulate, all, and cover materia in the bangle. 'Yes!' She quickly arranged her materia and started to cast manipulate-all on her friends. 'A noise over there…a noise over there…a noise over there…'  
  
"Wait guys. I think I here something over there." Cloud suddenly said. "I think we should go check it out." The group turned about and Tifa heard their footsteps fade away. Grinning, she made a mad dash to the edge of town. 'The spell will only last for a little while. I better hurry...'  
  
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Tifa ran into the open fields at the outskirts of the town, she gave a sigh of relief knowing that she was finally out but she heard a noise.  
  
"Going somewhere Tifa?"  
  
She groaned and turned around. "Yuffie…"  
  
"Where are you going?" Yuffie asked, her hand on her hip.  
  
"I just…need to get away…" she replied.  
  
"Why? What happened back there?"  
  
"I...I don't want to talk about it Yuffie..." But Yuffie pressed on.  
  
"Please? Tell me Tifa--"   
  
"No! I don't want to! I just have to get away. Please, don't tell them." Tifa cut in.  
  
"Do you think you can go now? Look at you! You're not prepared at all." Yuffie pleaded with her.  
  
"True, but it's too late to prepare now. I have to leave tonight and they're all searching for me right now."  
  
"But where are you gonna go? At least let me come with you!"  
  
"No you can't, I need to be alone on this one. Personally, I don't know where to go, I just need to. Please? Don't tell them?"  
  
"Alright then, take this with you just in case. I don't have anything else I can give you." Yuffie handed her a hi-potion.  
  
"Thanks. Oh no, I hear they're voices. I have to go, cover for me, ok? Good bye for now Yuffie."  
  
"Buh bye." Yuffie replied and Tifa ran off into the dark.  
  
Yuffie stood there for a long time into the dark, and looked up at the moon. The moon was now half covered with threatening clouds. 'Oh no, that can't be good…' She looked again to the direction where her friend had disappeared into. 'Tifa…Please be careful.'  
  
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Author's Note: Oh my God! That totally sucked! I'm so sorry. (now you can see why was so reluctant on releasing this chapter.) Me so sorry, don't worry though, it'll get better (I hope.) Bleh, sorry about Barrett's talking style, I don't know, I'm not good at it. Well anyways, Tifa didn't really know that she had those materia on her. I remember when I played the game, sometimes I'd use my old accessories as storage for my materia. She was also using the carbon bangle as jewelry. On another note, Tifa was really groggy when she was woken up so all of that dialogue in her head was just passing thought, you know, like when you're half asleep. She was also too sleepy to realize what was going on in the other room. And even though Cloud and Aerith were a lil drunk by the time they got to the bed they weren't horribly drunk. Then, Tifa's little intrusion kinda sobered them up a bit. ^.^ Also, in this fic I'm trying to remain true to the game, but I'm not going to use the game elements all the time. Like, I will use items and the materia system but I won't use it as a quick fix to everything. It'd be too boring that way, but I'm trying to incorporate the game play into it. It's there world, not ours. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite its horrible quality. Keep reviewing! It's greatly appreciated. - uchiki-angel 


	5. In Dreams

Disclaimer: Same usual thing. I don't own anything from Final Fantasy VII. Squaresoft does...er...SquareEnix...um yeah you get the idea.  
  
Author's Note: Wow, I really haven't written anything in awhile. Um...about a year or so. I kinda lost interest as school started to demand more, and other things happened which kinda just kept me away. A lot of times I thought of picking it back up again, but I really haven't until now. I hope no one's angry with me and maybe my writing skills have improved a bit. Anyways, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it but forgive me if it's a lil um...rough I suppose. ~ uchiki-angel  
  
Getting Over You  
  
Chapter 5: In Dreams  
  
The dark clouds swirled in the empty blackness, sending torrents of rain down on the grassy fields near Junon. The moon and stars could not be seen as Tifa huddled herself up in a small cave in the nearby mountains.  
  
Cold...  
  
She cursed herself for not preparing herself for her sudden flight. She hid under a rocky overhang as she clutched her cold hands over her arms, her knees brought up to her chest in an attempt to keep warm.  
  
"Damn it" she murmured through chattering teeth. 'What was I thinking?' She sneezed lightly, looking out at the slightly brighter clouds breaking away to the light of the rising sun. Morning already. Regardless of the sun, she felt weariness overcome her from the emotional stress and lack of sleep; her eyes closed and she drifted into troubled slumber.  
  
She saw it all there again: the announcement, and the two so happy. Both of them were so happy together. The bright smiles, not only between Cloud and Aerith but between everyone else as well. Her false smile, pale in comparison to those that were true, those that were real. She saw Cloud and Aerith, embracing, smiles of love and happiness on their faces. Her mind twisted their faces into looks of annoyance, their gentleness forgotten.  
  
"Go away, we don't want you here," he said roughly.  
  
"We don't need you," Aerith added.  
  
Other forms appeared, echoing the words. Barrett, Yuffie, and Cid looking at her coldly with sardonic smiles on their faces.  
  
"Useless..."  
  
"We don't need you here." Makka, Nanaki, and Vincent, resounded in monotone voices, still smiling.  
  
"Unwanted." The phrases reverberated through the darkness, echoing off its walls.  
  
Tifa closed her eyes to it all, sobbing. She opened her mouth to speak but found that she could not. 'My family." She tried to scream, to yell, but only air came out of her mouth.  
  
Their echoes became louder, hateful words twisting into more hate, into more pain.  
  
"Auntie Tifa...?" a soft voice called.  
  
'Marlene?'  
  
"Auntie, open your eyes please," the little girl begged, her hand clutching tightly on Tifa's. She opened her eyes.  
  
She saw the scene before her again. Spilt wine glasses and wine. The creaking of the bed. Cloud and Aerith. But paying no heed to Tifa's presence. They both didn't see her, continuing on, aflame.  
  
"Don't they look so happy?" the little girl asked, a tinge of malice to her voice.  
  
"Don't they?" she asked again. "What do you think Auntie Tifa? What do you think?"  
  
She tried to close her eyes again, but found that she couldn't, the forms appearing before them again.  
  
"They're so happy, so happy so happy..." the words flowed from her companions, her friends.  
  
"We're so happy."  
  
Marlene turned her innocent face up to Tifa, smiling gently. "Does it hurt?" she asked and then pressed on, "Does it hurt Auntie Tifa? Knowing that you're on the outside looking in?"  
  
She heard Aerith climax and scream as Cloud grunted, his voice throaty. She heard her own voice pierce through the sound and darkness.  
  
She woke up with a scream and tears sliding down her face, shivering slightly and breathing heavily. She hugged herself tightly trying to make all of the bad feelings go away.  
  
"It was just a dream Tifa," she told herself, trying to reassure herself. 'They would never think that way. They never would.' But she couldn't help but wonder if they—  
  
A wave of guilt passed through her as she lay there on her side, her nails now leaving marks in her bare arms. 'They NEVER would think that way!' she told herself fiercely, angry with herself for even letting that thought pass into her mind. She lay there for a bit longer, letting the feelings subside, trying to push them away.  
  
'Where should I go? I can't go back there and face them.' She lay there contemplating, her tank top stained with mud, her skin dirty.  
  
"I think I just need to get away, to think things over." She told herself and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's about time I took a little vacation anyways." She smiled to herself bitterly.  
  
She sighed wearily as she got up and cautiously left her small haven. The darkened clouds from last night had already broken up and disappeared and a bright sun warmed her cool skin. She felt her stomach rumble.  
  
"Oi..." she murmured softly, clutching her stomach and decided to follow the mountain range hoping to find something to eat on the way.  
  
Author's Note: Oh yeah, that sucked. Even more so since I haven't written in awhile. That and my beta-reader is really busy too...*sweatdrop * Not really much of a point to this chapter, just wanted to make a transition I suppose from her running away and such. Kinda shaky on where I want this fic to go, I have an idea but yeah, just a lil shaky. Also acts as a warm up for me to get myself used to writing this again. Anyways, I hope I get some reviews. Still my first fic so be gentle, but if you really feel that you have to, go ahead and send a flame my way. Tell me if you want me to continue. I probably won't write anything more until the summer because I'm just so busy. Plus, it's hard to make myself get off my ass and start working on some of my free-time projects. Baibai! Oh, are there any suggestions for a new title? ~ uchiki-angel 


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